


Upon the crest of a wave I see hidden memories held within

by burner-phone (Genius_Emma)



Category: A Series of Unfortunate Events (TV), A Series of Unfortunate Events - Lemony Snicket
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Domestic Fluff, Future Fic, Gen, Reuniting, V.F.D.
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-18
Updated: 2018-04-18
Packaged: 2019-04-24 16:20:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,158
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14359119
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Genius_Emma/pseuds/burner-phone
Summary: A young woman steps off a trolley, many years after several unfortunate events





	Upon the crest of a wave I see hidden memories held within

When she steps off the trolley, the crunch of the gravel beneath her feet align with the crunch of pretzels in her mouth.

So many things have changed, but that hasn't.

For the fifth time that day, a young woman pulls the crumpled piece of paper from the pocket of her sundress. All it holds is a typed address. 32 Demure Drive.

The wind attempts to rip it from her, at the same time trying to rip her hat off her head. A welcome contrast to the heat from above.

The young woman adjusts her hat and rereads the paper. With a nod to no one but herself, she starts down the row of beach houses, counting the numbers pinned to peeling, pastel, paint. The sea swishes quietly on the other side of the street.

But the ocean is not why she’s here.

She finds the number easily, but hesitates a moment before knocking.

Will he be as forgiving of the past as she?

Her knuckles make contact with the painted wood.

"Coming!" A voice, neither particularly feminine nor masculine calls from inside.

"I'll get it hun-" A rougher voice answers, an the door swings open with a scream.

"You-" His tone is accusing, and she grips the heavy book in her bag in preparation of self defense. Jacquelyn always taught her to be on guard.

"Hi." Even while tense, an 18 year old Sunny Baudelaire smiles at the hook handed man. "Mind if I come in?"

"You've grown up." He lets her in, squinting the entire time.

"It's been a while." She nods modestly, waving at the former henchperson of indeterminate gender. They’ve decided on a more feminine look today it seems, their hair done up in curls and a blouse and skirt combo underneath an apron.

"Come sit." They gesture from their place in the kitchen. "Are you alone?"

"Yep. Just me. I wasn't followed." Sunny nods, shifting her bag to her lap. The spyglass inside sits heavily on her thigh, pinned underneath the book, but she shouldn't need either here.

The hook handed man turned to the person in the kitchen. "Get her something hard to chew on or- er-" He glanced back at the young woman. "Do you still-?"

"Yes, I still do prefer harder foods, though my tastes have matured." She laughs.

"We have some raw vegetables.”

"That will be perfect, thank you."

The hook handed man looks relieved as he turns back to Sunny.

"Anyway, how have you been? Busy, or leading a simple life after-?" The hooks gesture at empty air.

"Busy. I've just finished school." She shrugs. It is technically true, though the school Sunny Baudelaire graduated from would hardly be considered an ordinary place of academics. "What about- yourself?" She's fiddling with the piece of paper.

"Nothing crazy. It’s pretty calm here." The hook handed man sighed. "As calm as it gets with Ainsley."

"I can hear you." Ainsley drawls from the kitchen, the fridge slamming to accentuate their point.

"I love you dear!" The hook handed man called in response. Resuming his squinted gaze at Sunny, he continued. "Anyway, shortly after-” He waved the hooks. “-things, we quit the Counts troupe, and moved out here. Ainsley still auditions for things sometimes, and I used to work as a typist before my eyes started getting bad."

"That sounds lovely. I lived with my older siblings while they continued in the footsteps of our parents. We adopted a Snicket." Sunny sighed. "She's barely 3 years younger than me and she's a handful."

"Snickets generally are." The hook handed man sighed as well.

"Klaus sometimes keeps in contact with your sister." She offered. "Though Isadora keeps him busy."

"Fiona. I haven't spoken to her in years."

"You should." Ainsley and Sunny speak at the same time, as Ainsley joined them at the table, setting out freshly chopped broccoli, celery, and carrots. “I’ve been telling him this for years.”

"I will one of these days." He dismissed both people with a wave of a hook.

"So where are your siblings now?" Ainsley wiped their hands on their apron.

"Klaus is working on his doctorate, and Violet works with one of the Poe brothers in Orphans affairs at the bank. She built another mansion in the footprint of our parents to house other children in unfortunate circumstances. University was only a temporary fit for her."

"Yea I remember her as more of a doer than a studier." The hook handed man nodded. "What about you? Do you go to university?"

"I might. But I'm going to travel first. You, well you guys, were my first stop." Sunny took one of the carrots.

"Do you need anything for the trip?" Ainsley glanced at Sunny's bag. "That's awfully light for travelling."

"Ainsley not everyone needs three suitcases of costumes everywhere they go."

"I'm just saying Fern." They rolled their eyes.

"Fern?" It occurred to Sunny that she didn't even know the name of the hook handed man.

"Fernald."

"Ohhh yea, makes sense. Fernald and Fiona."

Silence fell over the table as all munched vegetables, until Fernald spoke up.

"Do you still play poker?"

"I do." Sunny's face cracked into a confident smile. "I've gotten better."

"Oohoo. Even as an infant she was killer at cards." Fernald explained to Ainsley.

"Have at me." Sunny challenged. "We'll even include Ainsley."

"They don't know how to play."

"They'll have two very good teachers."

Sunny didn't expect to stay with the two former henchpeople as long as she did. The sun had dropped below the horizon and the moon now presided by the time they wrapped up their last game, Fernald grumbling about failing eyesight being the reason he lost.

"We cannot allow you to leave at this time of night." Ainsley insisted, but Sunny protested against intruding further, eventually winning.

As she was shown to the door, Fernald pressed the well worn deck of cards into her palm.

"These are a gift. The first desk of cards we played with in the counts tower. Take care of them, and yourself."

To both their surprises, Sunny got very emotional and as soon as she stuck the cards in her bag she threw her arms around Fernald.

"Take care yourselves." She pulled away, glancing past at Ainsley. "I hope you're both very happy here."

"The world is quiet here." Ainsley murmured, a smile on their face as well. "We hope you'll find happiness of your own in your travels."

"And our door is always open if you're in need." Fernald clapped her on the back.

And as Sunny Baudelaire boarded the midnight trolley back to the city, she couldn't help but feel at peace, sitting by herself with the deck in her hands.

The past was the past, and it was best if the only way moved was forwards.

The sea breeze ruffled her hair as she watched the blinking lights by the ocean.

The world truly was quiet here.

**Author's Note:**

> Title are lines from The Ocean by Victoria Hughes
> 
> The name for HOIG is taken from JCMorrigan's The Amorous Accomplices


End file.
